Bioconversion of Napier Grass Mixed with Soybean Curd Residue Producing Bioethanol Through Simultaneous Saccharification And Fermentation in Solid State Culture

• Main Author: (Nim : 11214004), Jessica
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/28271
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Lignocellulosic bioethanol has a great potential as an alternative energy source. Napier Grass has potency for lignocellulosic ethanol production considering its high cellulose and hemicellulose content and its low ash and low lignin content. The goal of this research is to determine the optimum aerobic cultivation period and optimum microaerobic cultivation period that produce the highest enzyme activity and bioethanol with the combination of Napier Grass and soybean curd residue as the substrate. Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF) process was used as the method for cellulase and bioethanol production in this research. Saccharification and Fermentaation agent being used was Neurospora sitophila. This mould is cultivated in an aerobic condition for 6 days and the cellulase activity was measured every day with Filter Paper Assay (FPA) method. The highest cellulase activity achieved from the combination of Napier Grass and soybean curd residue 1:1 in two days, with the cellulase activity 0,583 FPU. Bioethanol fermentation was produced by cultivating N.sitophila in an aerobic condition for two days and then shifted into microaerobic condition for 6 days with the addition of oxygen absorber to the system. Ethanol concentration was measured with modified procedure for alcohol determination by modified dichromate oxidation method (Crowell and Ough, 1978). The highest ethanol yield achieved from the combination of Napier Grass and soybean curd residue 9:1 in 6 days. The highest ethanol yield achieved was 2,12g/100 g substrates. In conclusion, the cellulase enzyme produce in this research was higher compared to the earlier research but the bioethanol production process needs to be further optimized so a higher yield of ethanol can be achieved.